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Department of Political Science

Undergraduate Handbook
20112012
Contents

1 Foreword 11 Other study options


Individual study
2 Advising
Internships
General notes
Study abroad
Forms
Restrictions
Meeting with your advisor
13 Probation and progress
4 The political science major
Probation
Core requirements
Progress toward your degree
Special courses
Restrictions on courses 14 After you graduate
Supporting coursework Post-graduate study
Major plans of study Careers
Finishing your degree
18 Senior theses, honors, and
7 The political science minor distinction
Restrictions on courses The senior thesis
The Political Science Honors Program
8 Course planning
Departmental distinction
General advice
The first four terms 20 Political science scholarships
Choosing field courses and awards
The second four terms
21 Student groups
10 Transfer students
22 Contacts and resources

24 Appendix:
The political science curriculum
Foreword

This handbook summarizes and explains departmental require-


ments, policies, and resources, and offers a distillation of the best
advice our office can offer students. If you still have questions
about or need more details concerning any of the topics discussed
here, contact the people or offices noted in the text. And please let
us know right away about anything you discover here that is incor-
rect, conflicting, ambiguous, or incomplete.

Undergraduate Handbook 1
Advising

General points Pay immediate and careful attention to mail or messages from
We recommend that you take advantage of all the services the any university office or official. School officials and professors will
university and college provide to keep track of your degree require- use the email and physical addresses you have on record with the
ments and monitor your academic progress. As a matter of univer- school for official communications, so make sure you have regis-
sity policy, you are finally responsible for knowing and observing all tered your email address properly with the school and keep your
the academic rules and requirements that pertain to your degree contact information up to date through UI Integrate.
and programs. You may wish to read Dr. Hinchliffes psadvisor weblog (wiki.
Besides our departments undergraduate website (where you cites.uiuc.edu/wiki/display/psadvisor/Home) or become a fan
found this handbook), youll find the following websites especially of the departments Facebook page (follow the link on the de-
helpful. Whenever you have a question, your first step should be to partments website). Also, our office regularly sends news and
consult these websites to see if you can find the answer there. announcements to the ps-advisor-l email listserver; you can
subscribe by sending an email from your illinois.edu account to
las Student Pages listserv@listserv.illinois.edu with a blank subject line and sub-
www.las.uiuc.edu/students scribe PS-ADVISOR-L in the body, with no other text or signature
included. You will receive an email reply with further instructions.
Registration information
www.registrar.illinois.edu/registration/index.html
Forms
Degree audit reporting system (dars) for students Most departmental formsindividual study, scholarship and essay
(This report shows which of your campus, college, and major requirements award applications, honors thesis forms and information, Pi Sigma
are complete and which ones remain) Alpha applications, and so onare available online (www.pol.il-
www.registrar.illinois.edu/dars/generate.html linois.edu/undergraduate/forms.html). las has put its forms online
as well (www.las.illinois.edu/students/forms).
my.Illinois Course Explorer
(Includes current course catalogs, course schedules and real-time enroll-
Meeting with your advisor
ment information, general education requirement course lists, and major,
For quick or purely informational matters, emailing your advisor will
minor, and program information)
usually do. But for more involved questions or problems, you will
my.illlinois.edu
need to meet with your advisor in person. You should also con-
Student Code tact or meet with your advisor once every term sometime before
admin.illinois.edu/policy/code registration begins for the following term, especially if you are
interested in transferring credit from other institutions, applying

Undergraduate Handbook 2
for internships or study abroad, or working through any probation
or registration problems.
Advisors are assigned to students by last name as follows:

AI Dr. Maurice Meilleur


FL Chera LaForge
MR Leslie Caughell
SZ Dr. Joseph Hinchliffe

Call 333.7491 from 9.0012.00 and 1.005.00, Monday through


Friday, to make an appointment. You can always ask to meet with a
different advisor, if you have a preference. There are limited walk-in
hours available (these will be noted on the departments under-
graduate page when available), but generally students must make
appointments in advance by contacting the undergraduate office.
Come to your meeting prepared. Bring all material relevant to
what you need to discuss with your advisor, including your own
academic records and any pertinent letters, forms, brochures,
messages, and so forth. Write your questions down if you have
more than one or two issues to address, and plan to take notes.
Because advisors have many responsibilities, if you need an
advisors guidance, feedback, or signature, you should plan your
meeting far enough in advance of the relevant deadlines to allow
for the time he or she needs to review any materials and complete
any forms required.

Undergraduate Handbook 3
The political science major

At the University of Illinois, the undergraduate study of political ence, this means that you must complete all of your advanced-level
science is divided into five fields: American Politics, Public Policy, hours in political science on campus. We make a limited exception
Comparative Politics, Political Theory, and International Relations. for students studying abroad: You may apply 3 advanced-level
A full list of political science courses is at the end of this handbook. hours per term, up to a total of 6 hours, from courses you take
ps 101 (US Government and Politics) is a mandatory course for abroad toward your major, and the college will treat them as being
majors and a prerequisite (a course you must complete before- on-campus for the purposes of this requirement. ps 490 (indi-
hand) for almost every other political science course. Each field vidual study) and ps 491 (government internship) hours (described
contains a 200-level introductory field course, other intermediate below), no matter where you do your internship, are considered
courses, and advanced-level (300- and 400-level) courses. You on-campus for the purposes of this requirement. Exceptions
should take the field course (or, in American politics, ps 101) before to departmental advanced-level course requirements do not
you take any advanced courses in that field. change the college and campus advanced-hour and residency
A political science major requires 50 hours of coursework. 30 requirements. These requirements can be complicated to apply;
of these hours come from political science classes; these are your you should speak with your advisor, or with your admissions and
core requirements. The remaining 20 hours are your supporting records officer in the las Student Academic Affairs Office, if you
coursework. have any questions, or if you plan to use advanced-level credit you
did not earn on this campus towards your major or degree.
Core requirements
You must complete 30 political science hours, distributed accord- Special courses
ing to the following requirements: Some courses are not associated with any specific field.
ps 100 is a survey course designed to introduce students to the
ps 101 (Intro to American Government & Politics): 3 hours discipline of political science. It is an excellent course if you want
Three field courses, from ps 100 (Study of Politics), 220 (Public Policy), 230 an overview of the study of politics. For some political science
(Political Science Research), 240 (Comparative Politics), majors with advanced-placement credit for ps 101, it may be a
270 (Political Theory), or 280/281 (International Relations): 9 hours good first course in political science, but your advisor usually will
Advanced-level (300/400-level) ps courses: 12 hours recommend another.
ps courses at any level: 6 hours ps 199 is an open undergraduate seminar. Topics for the course
can vary from term to term.
A related requirement is that you complete 12 hours of advanced-
ps 200, Foundations of Political Science, is similar to ps 100in
level political science courses on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
fact, you cannot get credit for both courses. Presently, if you take
For students who only take 12 hours of advanced-level political sci-
ps 200, you can ask an advisor for a major modification form to

Undergraduate Handbook 4
allow it to serve as a field course. Restrictions on courses
ps 300 is the number used for courses on topics or problems By agreement with the college and with some other departments
not covered by courses in our regular catalog. The topics covered and programs, some seats in certain political science courses are
by these courses vary from term to term. You may earn no more reserved for students with other majors. When the seats set aside
than 3 hours of credit in ps 300. for political science are full, political science majors will not be
ps 490 is a variable-hour independent study course for juniors able to add those courses to their schedules. Generally, unclaimed
and seniors. The Other study options chapter below explains seats set aside for other majors will be open to political science
when and how to arrange independent study courses. You cannot majors around the time that registration opens to freshmen, about
count more than 6 hours of ps 490, or more than 9 combined hours three weeks into the registration period. Ask an advisor if you have
of ps 490 and ps 491, toward your major requirements. any questions or if you would like an override for a course.
ps 491 is for students earning credit for work in approved gov- A few courses are restricted by class standing. Only seniors
ernment internships. The Other study options chapter explains may participate in the senior thesis course, ps 496. Only juniors
internship credit in more detail. You cannot count more than 6 and seniors may enroll in ps 301, 302, and 386. Other courses may
hours of ps 491 toward your major, or more than 9 combined hours have similar restrictions. Any of these restrictions will be specified
of ps 491 and ps 490. in the course descriptions in the online schedule.
ps 494 is the departments junior honors seminar. The topic of
the course varies from section to section, and topics may overlap Supporting coursework
or duplicate those of other courses. You can repeat ps 494 for a to- Completing a political science major also requires you to take 20
tal of 6 hours if the topics of the courses you take are different, but hours of thematically-related courses outside political science that
you cannot receive credit for both an honors seminar and another support your study in the major. At least 12 of these hours must
course on the same topic. Only students in the political science be at the 200-level or higher. The department has interpreted the
honors program may take this course. rules regarding supporting coursework broadly, but we recom-
ps 495 is the departments senior honors seminar for students mend that you choose a program that complements the courses
intending to write an honors thesis. It includes an advanced over- you choose for your political science major.
view of methodological issues in political science and culminates There are three ways to complete your supporting coursework.
in a substantial research proposal for the thesis. You may earn no Option 1. You may complete the requirements for a second
more than 6 combined hours of credit in ps 495 and ps 496. Also, major or a minor. The college explains the procedures for declaring
hours in ps 495 do not count toward the 30 required hours for po- second majors and minors on its student pages.
litical science majors, but they do count as on-campus advanced Several political science courses are cross-listed as courses
hours for the las college requirement. Only students in the politi- in other departments. For example, ps 312, Politics and the Media,
cal science honors program, or who have the permission of the is cross-listed as cmn 325 and ms 322. The rules regarding cross-
instructor, may take this course. listed advanced-level courses and how they apply to students who
ps 496 is a variable-credit course for political science majors are double-majoring are complicated; the best advice, if you are a
writing honors theses. Hours in ps 496 do not count toward the 30 double major and want to be certain that you can complete both
required hours for political science majors, but they do count as majors, is to assume that any advanced-level course you take that
on-campus advanced hours for the las college requirement. You is listed in the catalogs of both your departments will not count to-
can take up to 6 credit hours total of ps 496, but you may earn no ward the advanced-level course requirement of either major. Make
more than 6 combined hours of credit in ps 495 and ps 496. Only sure you consult an advisor if you are taking any courses from other
senior political science majors with a gpa of 3.0 or higher and writ- programs cross-listed with political science courses.
ten approval from a faculty member (the thesis supervisor) and the If you add a minor that does not require at least 20 hours, you
department may take this course. We describe honors theses in must take additional courses in that department or program to
more detail in the Departmental Honors chapter. reach 20 hours to use it for supporting coursework.

Undergraduate Handbook 5
Option 2. You may complete 20 credit hours of courses from for your degree, major(s), and any minor(s). Under the supervision
any one or two academic departments outside political science. of a dean, your college admissions and records officernot your
(This is a good option for students interested in taking multiple political science advisoris the person who decides or confirms
courses from departments, such as economics and psychology, finally whether you have satisfied the requirements for your degree.
that do not offer minors.) Note finally that participating in a commencement or convoca-
Option 3. You may complete 20 hours from three or more tion ceremony is distinct from actually graduating; you will need
departments according to a topical plan of study. You must write to register for those ceremonies separately, and being allowed to
a short memo to your political science advisor that outlines the participate in such a ceremony does not mean you have completed
program you wish to use, lists the courses youd like to take and your degree.
explains why they fit together. Once the plan is approved you may
plan to use these courses for supporting coursework.
You may not use any of the following courses for support-
ing coursework under any of the above options: political science
courses, courses cross-listed with political science, basic com-
position proficiency courses, courses you use to complete your
campus nonprimary language proficiency requirement, and any
courses you take credit/no credit. Note that because of these
restrictions, you might complete the requirements for a second
major or minor, but not be able to use all those courses for your
supporting coursework. Ask an advisor if you have any questions.

Major plans of study


Before you graduate, you and your political science advisor must
complete a major plan of study, a document that notes your prog-
ress on your general education and major requirements and lists
the courses you intend to use for your supporting coursework. You
must submit the completed major plan of study to your admis-
sions and records officer in the college. Typically we ask students
to complete this form once they have enrolled in the last course(s)
they are using for supporting coursework, hence at the latest after
they register for their last term on campus.

Finishing your degree and graduating


When you register for your final semester of classes, you must
declare your intent to graduate. Until the tenth day of classes, you
can do this online from the same suite of applications you use to
register for courses. Your admissions and records officer can add
your name to the graduation list if you miss the deadline. Declar-
ing your intent to graduate is one important step in the process of
completing your degree; it prompts your admissions and records
officer to conduct an official audit of your courses to confirm that
you have completed or will have completed all the requirements

Undergraduate Handbook 6
The political science minor

A political science minor requires you to complete 18 hours of records officer in your college. The form is needed because these
coursework, distributed as follows: courses vary in topic and are not automatically assigned to any
fields in the political science catalog. A political science advisor
ps 100 or 101 (101 recommended): 3 hours can tell you the fields to which different sections of ps 300 and ps
Two field courses, from ps 201 (US Racial & Ethnic Politics; 499 belong.
counts as an American Politics field course for minors only), You may count hours from ps 490 and ps 491 towards your
220 (Public Policy), 230 (Political Science Research), 240 minor, if the topic of the research you completed for your indepen-
(Comparative Politics), 270 (Political Theory), or 280/281 dent study or internship was in an appropriate field. You may have
(International Relations): 6 hours to present documentation or ask the supervising political science
Any three advanced-level (300/400-level) courses from the faculty member to contact the undergraduate studies office to
fields represented by the chosen field courses above only: confirm the field in which your independent study or internship
9 hours research belongs. Using these courses also requires a minor modi-
fication form signed by a political science advisor that you deliver
The fields from which you may choose your advanced-level politi- to your admissions and records officer.
cal science courses depend on your choice of 100 or 101 and the No other courses count towards a political science minor. There
field courses you take. Assume, for example, that you take ps 101 are no exceptions.
(an American politics course), ps 240 (comparative politics), and
ps 270 (political theory). If you then take ps 304 (The Presidency), Restrictions on courses
you may use the course for your minor, because it is an American Many political science courses are partially or fully reserved for
politics course, and you are using ps 101. If you take ps 384 (The political science majors. Also, by agreement with the college and
Politics of Globalization), however, you may not count it towards with some other departments and programs, some seats in certain
your minor, because it is an international relations course, and not courses are reserved for students with other majors. Students
in the fields represented by ps 101, 240, or 270. The ps curriculum who do not have political science as their primary major may only
list in the appendix to this handbook will help you match courses register for these courses or seats when the department lifts the
with their subfields. restrictions, or when a political science advisor overrides them.
You may count up to 6 hours of ps 300 and ps 499 courses in Restrictions are generally lifted around the time that enrolled
appropriate fields toward your minor. (ps 499 is the designation for freshmen are permitted to pre-register, or about three weeks into
special topics courses used through spring 2010.) To use these the registration period. For open seats in courses where seats are
courses requires you to have a minor modification form signed by allotted to different majors, you will need to call or come in to the
a political science advisor that you deliver to your admissions and undergraduate studies office for a course restriction override.

Undergraduate Handbook 7
Course planning

General advice advanced placement tests, or plan to take courses during summer
Plan a flexible schedule as far as two or three terms ahead. If you sessions, you may need to adapt these suggestions to meet your
plan carefully and take advantage of advanced-placement credit, own needs. Some graduate and professional schoolsmedical
summer courses, and online courses, you may be able to gradu- schools, for examplemay ask you to complete specific require-
ate one term or even a full year early. Complete your las general ments in order to apply as well. Ask your advisor for help.
education, non-primary language, basic composition, quantitative
reasoning, and political science core requirements by the end of The first four terms
your junior year, so you can be flexible in your later terms of study You should consult your degree audit report and campus and
and have room for study abroad or an internship. college general education requirements, along with these sugges-
Try to spread your courses in a given term around different tions, in order to tailor them to suit your specific needs.
subjects and areas of knowledge. Continue required subjects you The list below is a recommended plan of courses. Scheduling
started in high school, like non-primary languages or math, as and seat availability may force you to adjust when you take some of
soon as possibleespecially if they are not your favorites. Dont your general education or elective courses. Consult your advisor if
make your coursework harder than it has to be by waiting. you have any questions or concerns about your schedule.
Many 100- and 200-level political science courses are social
science general education courses, so you will probably not have First term
to go out of your way to meet this general education requirement. ps 101 or other introductory political science course
Some political science courses meet additional or other require- Basic composition or elective/discovery course (a)
ments. ps 201 (US Racial and Ethnic Politics) is a social science Non-primary language (if needed) or elective (b)
and a US-minority cultural studies course, ps 241 (Comparative Quantitative reasoning or natural science general ed course (c)
Politics in Developing Nations) is a social science and a non-West- Arts and Humanities general ed course or elective
ern cultural studies course, and ps 270 (Introduction to Political las 101 (las 122 for James Scholars)
Theory) is a historical and philosophical perspectives course.
Second term
You should choose your supporting coursework no later than
ps field course
the second semester of your sophomore year. It is important to
ps field or other 200-level course
plan your supporting coursework, because many 200-level and
Basic composition or elective/discovery course
higher courses have prerequisites. Use your general education
Non-primary language (if needed) or general ed course
and elective courses to try out programs or subjects you think you
General ed course or elective
would be interested in using for supporting coursework.
If you are transferring from another school, or have credit from

Undergraduate Handbook 8
Third term go. If you plan to apply for internships or independent study, or to
ps field or other 200-level course complete an honors thesis, consider ps 230 (Introduction to Politi-
ps 200-level or general ed course cal Research). Some professors will not supervise internships or
Non-primary language (if needed) or general ed course individual study with students who have not taken this course.
General ed course or elective
General ed course or elective The second four terms
As an incoming freshman, you may not have a clear idea yet what
Fourth term
all your abilities, preferences, and shortcomings are, or what you
ps advanced-level course
want to do when you finish your undergraduate degree. It is thus
ps field or other 200-level course
more helpful to think about your junior and senior years in terms of
Non-primary language (if needed) or general ed course
your goals, rather than what specific courses you should take.
General ed course or elective
By the end of your junior year, you should have:
Elective
completed all your general education, major, and supporting
coursework requirements;
Notes studied abroad, or made plans to do so, if that is what you
a. Discovery courses are courses set aside by departments only for want to do;
first-year freshmen. Some meet general education requirements, completed an internship, or made plans to do so, if that is
while others are for elective hours only. The Provosts office keeps what you want to do;
current lists of discovery courses at www.provost.edu/programs/ chosen the areas you would like to study outside your general
Discovery.courses.html. education, major, and supporting coursework requirements during
b. The college requires proficiency in a non-primary language your senior year;
equivalent to two years worth (or four semester courses) of college taken part in other activities or projects, or developed skills,
study. If you plan to start a language from the beginning and take that will make you a more attractive professional or graduate
all the courses to reach this level, make sure to leave room in your school applicant or job candidate, according to your preferences;
schedule for all the courses youll need to complete the require- and begun specific post-graduate planning: picking a post-
ment. graduate career, meeting with a career counselor or with faculty
c. The department recommends stat 100 or an equivalent course, and staff mentors to discuss your prospects and options, arrang-
like econ 202, psyc 238, or soc 235. ing to take any examinations for graduate or professional schools
(gre, lsat, gmat, etc.), and creating a timeline with due dates for
Choosing field courses gathering materials and submitting applications.
Pick your field courses according to your intellectual interests and By the end of the first term of your senior year, you should
goals. Keep in mind the field course prerequisites for advanced- have:
level political science courses. Technically, once you have com- completed all your general education, major, and supporting
pleted 6 hours of ps courses, you may take any advanced-level coursework requirements for a ba in political science;
political science courses you wish. But professors who teach successfully concluded any study abroad programs or intern-
advanced classes assume you have a certain grasp of foundational ships;
knowledge and experience in the field. You are not likely to do well successfully concluded any other activities or studies you
in a course for which you are not prepared. took on connected to your postgraduate career; and
If you plan to study abroad, you should take ps 240 (Introduction put into action the postgraduate plan you created after your
to Comparative Politics) and/or ps 280 (Introduction to Interna- junior year (or before).
tional Relations), to prepare for advanced-level comparative and
international politics courses you may want to take before you

Undergraduate Handbook 9
Transfer students

Our department does not impose any of its own requirements Transfer students new to the university with strong academic
upon students transferring from other departments in the college, records should self-nominate for the University of Illinoiss James
from other colleges at the University of Illinois to the College of Scholars honors program. In order to be eligible, you must have a
Liberal Arts and Sciences, or from other schools to the University transfer gpa of 3.5, and you must have successfully participated
of Illinois. But we do have recommendations for students coming in an honors program at your previous institution. Also, you must
to the department from another department, program, or school. apply during your first term at the University of Illinois to be consid-
Transfer students from other uiuc colleges or las majors ered for the program.
(intercollege and intercurricular transfers): Before you declare International transfer students: If you are interested in
a political science major, you should read this handbook carefully. coming from an institution abroad to complete a degree at the
If you have any questions or are still not sure if the major is an ap- University of Illinois, you should review the admissions application
propriate choice, you may meet with a political science advisor to information for international students at the Office of Admissions
review your transcript and answer your questions. Most successful website (admissions.illinois.edu/apply/requirements_internation-
transfer students have completed (and done well in) at least two al.html). Otherwise, advice for transfer students coming to Illinois
political science courses before they declare the major. from other institutions in the us applies to you also.
Transfer students from other colleges and universities
in the us: Any student considering a transfer to the University of
Illinois from another school should review this handbook and the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Transfer Handbook, available
online (admissions.illinois.edu/pdf/transfer/handbook/las2.pdf).
The college requires that you complete at least one transfer-
rable political science course before you arrive in order to declare
political science as your major. We recommend strongly that you
complete a three-hour course that would transfer to the Univer-
sity of Illinois as ps 101 (Introduction to American Government
and Politics) and at least one more three-hour course that would
transfer as a field course (ps 100, 220, 230, 240, 270, or 280)two
more, if possible. You can take more political science courses
before you come to the university, but be advised that specific
political science major requirements may keep hours from some
courses from counting towards your major requirements.

Undergraduate Handbook 10
Other study options

You may want to pursue some topic in political science more thor- propose to the faculty member. (ps 230, Introduction to Political
oughly than you can in the courses the department regularly offers, Research, can help you develop sound research proposals.)
or you may wish to study political science in a different institution, 4. Your proposal concerns research on a topic of particular
or even in a different country. There are a number of options you interest to the faculty member.
might consider in your junior or senior year. Generally, only juniors and seniors are likely to be prepared suf-
ficiently for individual study. Enrolling in an individual study course
Individual study requires you and the sponsoring faculty member to complete a
Individual study courses (ps 490) allow you to work closely with a form (available on the political science undergraduate web page)
political science faculty member to explore a topic in greater depth describing the project and the nature of the work you will do. The
than our catalog courses allow, or to pursue a topic that is not in Director of Undergraduate Studies must then approve the project.
the catalog. The department considers these courses to be exten-
sions of, not replacements for, courses in the ps catalog. Internships
Individual study typically involves preparing a substantial The University of Illinois does not typically give academic credit for
research paper or project. You can enroll in from 1 to 4 credit hours internships. There are six exceptions to this rule.
for each individual study class; the amount of work you will do de- 1. The Illinois in Washington Program. Program details are
pends on the amount of credit you hope to earn. The content of an on the iiw website (engagement.illinois.edu/iiw/index.html).
individual study is up to your faculty sponsor, but you can expect to 2. The Vienna Diplomatic Program. Details are on the pro-
complete about 10 pages of written work for every credit hour. grams website (euc.illinois.edu/Vienna), or you can contact politi-
Not every faculty member is willing to take on individual cal science professor Robert Pahre (pahre@illinois.edu).
projectsat least, not with just any student. These courses are un- 3. The Internships in Francophone Europe (ife) Paris Field
compensated extra work for faculty, and they take time away from Study and Internships Program. Details are on the programs
course preparation and research. It is more likely that a professor website (www.ifeparis.org) and in the University of Illinoiss Study
will agree to supervise an individual study course with you if one or Abroad Offices program database (search for Internships in Fran-
more of the following conditions are true: cophone Europe/Paris, France).
1. You have completed (and done well in) an advanced-level 4. The Civic Leadership Program. Details are on the pro-
course in the field in which you want the independent study, prefer- grams webpage (www.civicleadership.uiuc.edu).
ably a course with the professor with whom youd like to work. 5. The Champaign County Public Defender Program. De-
2. You contact the professor well ahead of timeone or even tails are available by contacting Dr Hinchliffe (hinchliffe@illinois.
two terms before the independent study course would happen. edu) or the Director of Pre-Law Advising Services, Jamie Thomas-
3. You have a well-thought out question or project in mind to Ward (thomas99@illinois.edu).

Undergraduate Handbook 11
6. Individual study credit associated with internships. Center at uiuc administers the grant that supports the program,
An internship can be the basis for an individual study. You must but the Study Abroad Office processes applications and manages
work these projects out as you would for any other individual study student contacts. Limited scholarship assistance is available.
arrangement. You cannot earn credit directly for job-related work
at an internship site. Also, written work you complete on the job Restrictions
does not in itself constitute academic work; your faculty sponsor Review the political science major requirements chapter above
must supervise and direct any work you do for academic credit. for information about restrictions on the number of hours you can
Students must have at least sophomore status and be in good apply to your major and degree from individual study, government
academic standing to choose this option. Note that if you choose internship, and study abroad courses.
this option, you will not have the benefit of placement assistance,
site review, or other faculty supervision and aid that students on
approved internship programs have.

Study abroad
The University of Illinoiss Study Abroad Office coordinates a vari-
ety of academic programs and internship/service learning oppor-
tunities for both summer and regular academic terms. There are
programs on all seven continentssome in English, some in the
host countries languages. The department recommends strongly
that you study abroad for at least one term, especially if you are
interested in comparative politics or international relations.
Generally, coursework abroad counts towards las degrees;
depending on the amount and level of credit, it can count toward
political science major requirements as well. Some courses avail-
able on these programs have been pre-approved for specific credit
by the college and the department; for others, you will need to ask
for course approvals before you leave or after you return.
If you are interested in studying abroad, visit the saos website
at www.studyabroad.illinois.edu/earlyplanning/where_to_start.
aspx and watch the First Steps series of videos. The website ex-
plains further steps for researching and applying for programs.
Outstanding students may wish to pursue international study
after they graduate. The National and International Scholarships
Program coordinates programs for international scholars like the
Churchill, Fulbright, Gates Cambridge, Luce, Marshall, Mitchell,
and Rhodes Scholars programs.
The university is also a partner in the Good Governance
Consortium, which offers exchange and internship programs to
schools in the US, Austria, Belgium, Finland, and Italy. Program
details are available at the University of Illinoiss European Union
Center website (euc.illinois.edu/goodgov), or from political science
professor Robert Pahre (pahre@illinois.edu). The European Union

Undergraduate Handbook 12
Probation and progress

Probation meetings with one or more of the campus or college student life
Students sometimes stumble academically. This often happens units mentioned above, in connection with this meeting. To prevent
after a significant change or eventyour first term in college, or further academic missteps, we may place an advising hold on your
your first term after transferring to uiuc from another school; a registration if you fail to meet with us as required.
death, illness, or divorce in your family or among your close friends;
or a physical or emotional problem of your own. If your campus or Progress toward your degree
major gpa drops below 2.0 (a C average), the college will place you Students must make regular and satisfactory progress toward
on academic probation. You will receive a letter from the college their degree by enrolling in and passing appropriate courses. las
explaining why you have been placed on probation and the condi- policy requires students in a major to take the required courses to
tions under which you can return to good standing. The letter will complete a degree in that major and maintain an acceptable gpa
also explain the consequences of continued poor performance. (2.0) in courses for that major. Generally, taking one ps course per
The campus and college have a number of resources for stu- semester and maintaining a gpa of 2.0 in ps courses until you are
dents on probation, which you can use depending on the reasons finished or nearly finished with your degree constitutes minimal
for the trouble youre having. Students with chronic physical, progress toward a degree in political science (but note that it may
cognitive, or psychological conditions should visit Disability Re- not allow you to graduate in four years). Absent special circum-
sources and Educational Services (dres) to discuss accommoda- stances (like a recent transfer) students who have completed six
tions in your courses or living conditions that might improve your or fewer hours of ps courses by the start of their junior year are not
performance in classes. making satisfactory academic progress. These shadow majors
The Campus Counseling Center is useful for students who need risk academic dismissal from the university. Students with a ps
to address emotional or psychological issues, and students who gpa below 2.0 who cannot raise their gpa to 2.0 or higher with two
need to develop important skills and habits for succeeding in col- three-hour ps courses before completing their fourth year of col-
lege, like studying, test preparation, or time management. lege are also not making satisfactory academic progress, and risk
If you are having academic problems, your advisor can help you academic dismissal.
evaluate your current schedule and devise a plan for your proba-
tionary and subsequent semesters that will help you complete your
degree successfully.
If you are placed on academic probation, you must see a politi-
cal science advisor to discuss your status and future plans. We
may contact you if you do not approach us first. You may need to
complete an informational survey about your probation, or arrange

Undergraduate Handbook 13
After you graduate

Post-graduate study materials and considering careers can take a long time. The staff at
Many political science majors seek postgraduate degrees in law, the University of Illinoiss Career Center have plenty of information
business, public administration, public policy, international affairs, and advice to help you find the programs, schools, and careers in
social work, and even in political science. One way to think about which you are interested and how to decide among them. Profes-
your undergraduate studies is to plan them to support your aspira- sors in your desired fields of study are good sources of help if you
tions for graduate school. For example, if you plan to complete a are considering an academic career. You can talk with your advisor
graduate degree in business or public policy, you might take one abour graduate programs that political science majors frequently
or two semesters of calculus, statistics, or economics. If you plan pursue.
graduate study in an area program (like the Middle East or South- 2. Take the required examinations. Most graduate and
east Asia) you might develop advanced language proficiency in a professional schools require you to take at least one standard-
relevant language. Your advisor can suggest courses that would be ized examination and submit your scores with your application.
appropriate for you based on your plans. Program application materials will include this information, and
But resist the temptation to turn your undergraduate degree the Career Center can help you figure out when to schedule those
into a miniature version of a professional program, such as law or exam(s) and how to prepare for them. Typically, if you want to start
business, or to reduce your choices of courses to what you think post-graduate study immediately after finishing your BA, you will
will look good to admissions officers in those schools. A degree take these exams in the summer or fall after your junior year.
in las at the University of Illinois offers you the chance to grow as 3. Collect recommendations. Graduate schools usually
a thinker and a human being. Not only are more broadly edu- require two or more letters of academic reference. (Some schools
cated and thoughtful students better candidates for professional also require professional references.) The best way to get good
schools, but many students report that their careers are more academic references is to cultivate strong working relationships
fulfilling for the time they spent in school learning about subjects with your professors. You need these referees to speak to your
beyond what their professional careers required. abilities and accomplishments with authority, experience, and de-
It often takes one to two years to prepare for graduate study. tail; graduate programs discount heavily letters written by profes-
The best general preparation is to be an outstanding undergradu- sors who obviously do not know you very well, who have not known
ate student and to think ahead. Specifically, there are four things you for very long, or who cannot offer more than vague praise for
any interested student should do: you. (Most professors simply will not write letters for students they
1. Investigate programs. Collect applications and promo- do not know, or about whom they can say only very little.) Indepen-
tional materials no later than the fall prior to the term for which dent study projects and senior theses are good ways to develop
you seek admission to the programs in which you are interested. the kinds of relationships with faculty that make letters of reference
You should start even sooner than that, though, since collecting much easier to write.

Undergraduate Handbook 14
It takes time to write a good letter of reference, the more so the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree after they finish
busier the professor is who is writing, so you must contact your their ba. Business school requires quantitative analytical skills,
referees well in advance of when the letters are due. It is best to including calculus and statistics, and some schools prefer ap-
provide them with at least a curriculum vitae or rsum, and a short plicants who can show a year or mores worth of coursework in
note highlighting the skills or experiences they should stress in these courses. Some political science courses, especially those
their letters, or the particular questions or issues they should ad- in research design, mass political behavior, and election analysis,
dress. More and more programs are moving to online application can help you develop these skills, but you would do well also to take
procedures, but many still require printed applications; make sure at least one semester each of calculus and statistics while you are
your referees have any forms the schools or programs to which completing your BA.
you are applying require them to complete. Unless schools provide Public administration and public policy. The National
or require otherwise, it is best to give your referees stamped, pre- Academy of Public Administration has found that governments at
addressed envelopes so they can mail recommendation letters all levels are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit well-educated
themselves. people for professional and administrative positions. If you are
4. Complete applications. Organizing and keeping track of interested in a career in government, you should consider pursuing
deadlines and materials lists is critical. Also, keep in mind that one of two relevant professional degrees after you complete your
completing applications almost always means more than filling out political science BA: the Master of Public Administration (MPA), or
forms. Students often find the personal statement or essay that the Master of Public Policy (MPP).
many programs require to be the most difficult part of an applica- An MPA degree is a professional public sector management
tion. The University of Illinois Writers Workshop can coach you on degree, similar to a business management degree, but designed to
personal statements and rsums. prepare you for work in service in federal, state, regional, and local
Different kinds of graduate programs have different require- government, and in public-service nonprofit and not-for-profit or-
ments and expectations. The summaries below of the most com- ganizations, as an administrator or manager. By contrast, an MPP
mon options for political science students should be enough to degree is an applied research degree, one that emphasizes policy-
start you reflecting, but for resolving confusion or uncertainty or making, policy analysis, and evaluation, again all in the context of
making a final decision, you will have to gather detailed information public service in government or private-sector organizations. If you
about the goals, principles, and application processes for each are interested in an MPA or MPP, you should consult the website of
kind of graduate school. Again, the staff in the Career Center will the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Adminis-
be an immense help. tration (naspaa) for further information (www.naspaa.org).
Law school. If you are considering law school seriously, you Political science. A few students may be interested in becom-
should contact the Pre-Law Advising Services office (www.prelaw. ing political scientists themselves. The best people to consult
illinois.edu). There is no such thing as a pre-law major; politi- about this career choice are political science faculty. How best to
cal science is a fine major, but it is only one of many that students prepare for graduate study in political science depends on your
might choose who intend later to go on to law school. The Ameri- interests; you should talk to faculty and graduate students in the
can Bar Association recommends that students take courses that subjects or courses that most interest you to learn more. You can
help develop skills and habits of thinking important to a successful find more information about graduate study and professional life
career in law. Accounting, cultural and global studies, economics, as a political scientist at the website for the American Political Sci-
finance, history (especially American history), logical reasoning ence Association (apsa) (www.apsanet.org).
and ethics, mathematics, political institutions, political theory, Graduate study toward a PhD in political science is to prepare
psychology, public policy, and sociology are all topics in which you to teach and conduct research. If you are interested in a career
students interested in law should consider taking courses while in public affairs or policy, you would be better advised to pursue an
they are undergraduates. MPA or MPP (see above).
Business School. Some political science students seek a

Undergraduate Handbook 15
Careers should give you a sense of the range of careers there are in health
The Career Center (www.careercenter.illinois.edu) can be ex- management.
tremely helpful as you plan your career. The Center has resources Human resources. Many schools, like the University of Illinois
and staff available to help you through every stage of preparing at Urbana-Champaign, offer graduate courses and degrees in hu-
for post-graduate life: identifying professions and vocations most man resource management (HRM), some with a general focus and
appropriate for your abilities and interests, planning courses to get others specialized for different aspects of HRM or for different in-
important skills or experience, locating job openings or programs, dustries. The main professional organization for HRM in the United
preparing application materials, gathering letters of recommenda- States is the Society for Human Resource Managment (shrm.org).
tion, interviews and much more. Here we include information only Media and journalism. Political science courses are popular
about a few of the careers political science majors often choose. with journalism majors, and its not surprising in turn that some
Government. For students interested in a career with the fed- political science majors interests lead them to journalism after
eral government, a good place to start exploring jobs is the Making school.
the Difference website (makingthedifference.org). The ranges of Keep in mind that political science students interested in a
jobs available, and the process of applying for them, make careers career in journalism will be competing with candidates with un-
in the federal government different from careers elsewhere. The dergraduate degrees in journalism or advertising. You should try
USAJobs website (www.usajobs.gov) and the federal Office of Per- to take whatever journalism and related courses you can (like jour
sonnel Management website (www.opm.gov) both list a number 200, art 250, or info/writ 303), and you should also try to gain as
of positionssuch as budget analyst, program analyst, foreign much practical experience as you canespecially through intern-
affairs specialist, public affairs specialist, or social scientist, with ships, but also through activities like working for student and local
agencies like the Government Accounting Office or the Congres- newspapers and radio or TV stationsand to hone your commu-
sional Research Servicesuitable for political science majors. To nication skills. You might also consider developing your analytical
be hired for one of these positions, you need to have and be able and writing/speaking/production skills around your specific areas
to demonstrate to the satisfaction of a federal hiring officer the ap- of interest in politics (for example, religion and politics, foreign
propriate knowledge, skills and abilities. The USAJobs Information policy, campaigns and elections) into an area of expertise you can
website has tips for writing up your qualifications. offer to media employers.
And, of course, dont overlook opportunities with state, county One good place online to begin searching for information about
or municipal governments. journalism as a career is the website for the Society of Professional
If you are interested in working with an international agency, or Journalists (spj) and the Sigma Delta Chi foundation for journalism
with a US agency dealing with international affairs, you may also (www.spj.org/sdx.asp).
find a professionally-oriented masters degree in international Nonprofit careers. Some political science students seek to
affairs or diplomacy helpful. These degrees are generally distinct work with non-profit or not-for-profit organizations at home and
from academic degrees in political science and professional de- abroad. Students looking for employment in these sectors can visit
grees in public administration. the websites for the National Council of Nonprofit Associations
Health administration/public health. Students interested in (www.ncna.org), the Chronicle of Philanthropy (www.philanthropy.
careers in public health may find that a medical degree, or an MPP com), and Idealist.org (www.idealist.org).
or MPA with a concentration in public health issues and policies/ Two prominent choices for political science graduates headed
practices, is the best preparation (see graduate study information for the nonprofit world are the United States Peace Corps and the
above). There are a number of professional associations in the US organization Teach for America. The mission of the Peace Corps,
for health administrators, like the American College of Healthcare as the organization sees it, is to help interested countries educate
Executives (ache.org), the Healthcare Financial Management As- and train their citizens and to promote better crosscultural under-
sociation (hfma.org), and the Healthcare Information and Manage- standing between Americans and the people the Corps serves.
ment Systems Society (himss.org). The names of these groups You can find out more about the Peace Corps, including about the

Undergraduate Handbook 16
qualifications and experiences they are looking for in their volun-
teers, at their website (www.peacecorps.gov).
Teach for America is a volunteer organization that recruits
teachers and professional and vocational trainers to serve in urban
and rural areas in the United States where a lack of resources
hurts the life chances and prospects of citizens. The organization
is looking for people from all backgrounds and career interests
with leadership experience, perseverance, and critical thinking,
motivational, and organizational skills. You can find out more about
the mission of Teach for America and how you can become eligible
to apply to serve at their website (www.teachforamerica.org).

Undergraduate Handbook 17
Senior theses, honors, and distinction

The senior thesis culminating in the production of a senior thesis. The department
The senior thesis is a project that serves as a capstone to your solicits motivated students to apply for the program and selects
undergraduate studies. You can complete a thesis as part of the the most outstanding applicants, who then complete a series of
political science honors program (described below), or as part of supervised research projects in honors courses, design original
an independent study project. If you choose the latter track, you research in a senior thesis seminar, and complete a senior thesis
should review the guidelines for independent studies in this hand- based on that design as the programs capstone.
book. You will need to identify and get the approval of a faculty ad- Students apply to the program after the first or second term of
visor willing to supervise your thesis, and you will need to complete their sophomore year. To be eligible to apply to the departments
an application form detailing your planned project. You should plan honors program, you must be a political science major and have
to meet with your faculty supervisor regularly while you are writing completed two terms of classes in residence on the UIUC campus,
the thesis, and submit multiple drafts of your project to him or her including 9 total hours of political science on campus, ps 230 or
for comments and approval. 231, and at least 3 advanced-level (300-level or higher) ps hours.
Completing a senior thesis as an independent project requires You can ask the department to approve a substitute methods
you to complete a minimum of 4 hours of ps 496; enrolling in those course for ps 230 or 231, but you must still have completed 9 hours
hours requires an approved thesis application form. Any senior of political science total to be eligible to apply. Your campus politi-
political science major with a campus gpa of 3.0 or higher with cal science gpa must be 3.5 or higher.
departmental approval can register in ps 496 for 2 to 5 hours. (Note To apply for the honors program, download and complete the
that ps 496 hours do not count towards your total or advanced-lev- form available online on the departments undergraduate forms
el ps hour requirements.) The department requires you to submit a page (pol.illinois.edu/undergraduate/forms.html). You must
completed preliminary draft of the thesis to your supervisor at least include a resume, a transcript, and a writing sample with your
one month before the end of classes in the term in which you intend application. The departments awards and honors committee will
to graduate. You must submit 3 copies of the final version of your evaluate applications according to whether applicants demon-
thesis to the Director of Undergraduate Studies on or before the strate sufficient interest and capacity to complete a senior thesis
last day of classes in that term: one loose-leaf copy with a certifi- successfully. No more than fifty students will be admitted to the
cate signed by your faculty supervisor, one bound copy, and one program in any given year.
digital copy in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. Honors students must complete at least one section of ps 494
(the junior honors seminar). The department will offer three or four
The Political Science Honors Program sections of 494 on different topics every year, each one requiring
The Political Science Honors Program is designed to prepare students to complete a substantial written research project. Facul-
excellent students to complete a senior-year research experience ty teaching these sections will recommend for or against students

Undergraduate Handbook 18
continuing in the honors program based on their performance on you will earn distinction. If you earn a gpa of 3.67 or higher in your
that project and in the course overall. If you participate in year-long ps 496 thesis hours, you will earn high distinction. Note that only
off-campus programs, like study abroad or an Illinois in Washing- political science honors students are eligible for high distinction.
ton internship, or if you were otherwise unable to take a section of Earning departmental distinction and having a sufficiently high
ps 494, you may apply to the awards and honors committee for a campus gpa is one way to qualify for Latin honors awarded by
waiver of this requirement. This waiver would require you to submit the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: cum laude, magna cum
an acceptable written research project in lieu of the seminar. laude, and summa cum laude.
The departments awards and honors committee will review all
honors students after their junior years to ensure they are in good
standing in the honors program. To maintain good standing, your
campus gpa must be at or above a 2.0 and your major gpa must
be at or above 3.25, and you must still be a political science major
making satisfactory progress towards your major and your degree.
If you are dismissed from the university for any reason, you may not
continue in the honors program. The awards and honors com-
mittee reserves the right to dismiss students from the program
for other reasons they deem appropriate, as they weigh the goal
of encouraging motivated students to pursue advanced research
projects against the likelihood that a given student will successfully
complete the honors program.
Seniors in the honors program must complete ps 495, usually in
the fall term of their senior year. Since ps 495 is an empirical meth-
ods course, if you wish to complete a thesis in political philosophy,
you may request a waiver from this requirement. Such a waiver
requires you to have completed ps 270, ps 371, ps 372, and at least
one further advanced-level course in political philosophy or anoth-
er appropriate topic (according to the judgment of the awards and
honors committee). You must also have the approval of a faculty
member willing to supervise your thesis and have registered for his
or her section of ps 496 before requesting a waiver.

Departmental distinction and college honors


There are two tracks toward earning departmental distinction,
each requiring you to complete a senior thesis.
The independent thesis track: If you (1) complete a senior
thesis, (2) earn an overall political science gpa of 3.25 or higher,
and (3) earn a gpa in your ps 496 thesis hours of 3.67 or higher, you
will earn distinction.
The honors track: If you (1) are admitted to and remain in good
standing in the political science honors program, (2) complete a
senior thesis, (3) earn an overall political science gpa of 3.25 or
higher, and (4) earn a gpa in your ps 496 thesis hours of 2.673.66,

Undergraduate Handbook 19
PS scholarships and awards

Several benefactors have endowed the Department of Political Sci- The Charles E. Merriam Essay Award. Merriam also
ence to fund scholarships and prizes for political science majors. endowed an annual scholarship prize for the best essay on local
Most of these awards and scholarships are modest; they will help government and politics. (A past head of the department noted
with tuition and fees but not cover their full cost. Note that schol- that in the global era of the twenty-first century, local may be
arships may affect other financial aid awards. As a rule, eligible interpreted broadly.) All students are eligible to apply.
students must apply for these awards before the last day of classes The Rita and Leonard Ogren Award. A fund honors the
in the fall term. Awards are announced the following spring. memory of Mr. and Mrs. Ogren by giving awards to undergradu-
The William Jennings Bryan Prize. Bryan was the Demo- ates and graduates in political science.
cratic Partys candidate for President three times, the Secretary of The Peter F. Rossiter Scholarship. Peter F. Rossiter, a
State under Woodrow Wilson, and the prosecutor of John Scopes longtime Democratic Chairman in Sangamon County and the first
in the famous Tennessee court case on evolution. Bryan left a small president of the State Democratic County Chairmen Association,
bequest to the university to fund a prize for the best essay on the has endowed an award for freshmen, sophomore, and junior politi-
topic of government. This prize is awarded every five years; the cal science majors based on academic merit and financial need.
next offering will be in 2013. There are one or two awards offered annually.
The Dean S. Dorman Award. Dean S. Dorman graduated from The Bob Byars Scholarships for First-Generation College
the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1909. He and his em- Students. Bob Byars was an assistant professor in the Depart-
ployer, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, created a fund to ment of Political Science from 1968 to 1975. He enjoyed the
allow undergraduate students to travel as departmental delegates solidarity and support of many students and colleagues at Illinois
to conferences and symposia in which they are participants. There during his struggle to gain tenure in the Department. Some 2530
are several awards annually. years later, he resumed contact with several former students who
The Ronald H. Filler Political Science Scholarship. Ronald had succeeded in a variety of fields, who pooled their resources
H. Filler is a commodities attorney who funds a scholarship to be for a need-based scholarship fund for first-generation college
awarded to sophomores based on their academic merit. He will students in political science at the University of Illinois.
also mentor any interested recipients.
The Charles E. Merriam Scholarship. Merriam was one of
the most important political scientists in the early and mid-twenti-
eth century. His son, Charles J. Merriam, has endowed two schol-
arships for the department, one to an outstanding sophomore for
study during the junior year, and one to an outstanding junior to
study during the senior year.

Undergraduate Handbook 20
Student groups

The political science department is associated with two regis- and is unaffiliated with the Department of Political Science, many
tered student organizations at the University of Illinois: Pi Sigma members are political science majors. This registered student or-
Alpha and the Political Science Club. More information about both ganization brings in speakers, hosts debates and has a wide range
groups is available through links on the political science under- of social activities.
graduate web pages.
Pi Sigma Alpha (psa). psa is the national political science
honor society, but it does far more than honor students. Its goal is
to be an integral part of the Political Science Department in the
promotion of worthwhile extracurricular activities related to public
affairs. Gamma Mu, the chapter at Illinois, has been a very active
chapter. Among other events, it has sponsored a series of brown
bag lunches with faculty members to discuss their areas of interest
and to explore graduate school options; invited speakers to ad-
dress the career interests and aspirations of political science stu-
dents; and helped coordinate public viewings of candidate debates
during elections. Members of the chapter help students through
peer academic advising during advance enrollment each term.
psa members also choose the faculty recipient for the annual Pi
Sigma Alpha/Clarence A. Berdahl Award for Excellence in Under-
graduate Teaching.
You must apply to be invited to join Pi Sigma Alpha. To be eli-
gible, you must have at least junior standing (60 credit hours com-
pleted), have a 3.0 university gpa and a 3.25 gpa in political science
courses, and have completed at least 10 hours of coursework in
political science, of which 3 hours must be at the advanced level
(300-level or higher). You must also pay a one-time $50 member-
ship fee.
Political Science Club. The mission of the Political Science
Club is to inform and foster interest in politics and current events.
Although this club is not exclusively for political science majors,

Undergraduate Handbook 21
Contacts and resources

Important websites Departmental contacts Other useful contacts

Department of Political Science Department of Political Science The Career Center


www.pol.illinois.edu/undergraduate 420 David Kinley Hall 715 S Wright St
1407 W Gregory Urbana, IL 61801
las student website
Urbana, IL 61801 217.333.0820
www.las.illinois.edu/students
p 217.333.7491 www.careercenter.illinois.edu
www.las.illinois.edu/students/forms
f 217.244.5712
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Registration information ps-advisor@illinois.edu
Student Academic Affairs Office
www.registrar.illinois.edu/registration/index.html www.pol.illinois.edu/undergraduate
144 Computing Applications Building
Degree Audit Reporting System (dars) Dr. Joseph Hinchliffe 605 E Springfield Ave
for students Director of Undergraduate Studies Urbana, IL 61820
(shows your completed and remaining degree 217.244.1820 217.333.1705
requirements) jjhinch@illinois.edu www.las.illinois.edu
www.registrar.illinois.edu/dars/generate.html
Dr. Maurice Meilleur Office of Continuing Education
my.Illinois Course Explorer Academic Advisor Online Course Offerings
(Includes course catalogs and schedules, real- 217.244.7781 302 E John Street Ste 1406
time enrollment information, general education meilleur@illinois.edu Champaign, IL 61820
course lists, and program information) 217.333.1320 / 800.252.1360
Leslie Caughell
my.illlinois.edu icon-info@illinois.edu
Academic Advisor
www.continuinged.uiuc.edu/oce-sites/
Enrollment verification 217.333.4711
outreach/online_courses.cfm
registrar.illinois.edu/transcripts/verify_main.html lcaughe2@illinois.edu
Counseling Center
Transcripts Chera LaForge
110 Turner Student Services Building
registrar.illinois.edu/transcripts/apostille.html Academic Advisor
610 E John Street
217.333.4711
Student Code Champaign, IL 61820
laforge2@illinois.edu
admin.illinois.edu/policy/code 217.333.3704
www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu

Undergraduate Handbook 22
Disability Resource and Education Services Office of Student Financial Aid
1207 S Oak Street Student Services Arcade
Champaign, IL 61820 620 E John St
217.333.1970 (v/tty) Champiagn, IL 61820
www.disability.illinois.edu 217.333.0100
217.265.5516 (fax)
James Scholars Program
www.osfa.uiuc.edu
217.333.1158
lashonors@illinois.edu Study Abroad Office
www.las.uiuc.edu/students/honors/types/ 115 International Studies Building
james 910 S Fifth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
National & International Scholarships
217.333.6322
Program
www.studyabroad.uiuc.edu
Center for Advising & Academic Services
Illini Union Bookstore 5th Floor The Writers Workshop
807 S Wright St 217.333.8796 (appointments, all locations)
Champaign, IL 61820 www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop
topscholars@illinois.edu
www.topscholars.illinois.edu

Pre-Law Advising Services


Center for Advising & Academic Services
Illini Union Bookstore 5th Floor
807 S Wright St
Champaign, IL 61820
217.333.9669 (appointments)
www.prelaw.illinois.edu

Undergraduate Handbook 23
Appendix: the political science curriculum

American politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PS 101 Intro to Am Pols & Govt PS 301 The US Constitution I PS 317 Asian-Am Pols
PS 201 US Racial & Ethnic Pols PS 302 The US Constitution II PS 318 Interest Groups & Social Mvts
PS 202 Religion & Pols in the US PS 303 The US Congress PS 319 Campaigns & Elections
PS 272 Women and Pols PS 304 The US Presidency PS 322 Law & Public Policy
PS 305 The US Supreme Court PS 409 Attitudes, Behavior, & Environment
PS 309 State Govt in the US PS 410 Neighborhoods & Pols
PS 311 Pol Parties in the US PS 411 Campaigning to Win
PS 312 Pols & the Media PS 412 Genetics & Pols
PS 313 Congress & Foreign Policy PS 450 Civic Engagement in Modern Soc
PS 315 African-Am Pols PS 451 Citizens & the Democratic Process
PS 316 Latina/o Pols PS 452 Normative Perspectives on Am Pols
PS 453 Ethics, Leadership, & Democracy
PS 455 Pol Econ, Soc Welfare, & Democracy
PS 230 Intro to Pol Research PS 330 Intro to Pol Behavior PS 456 Democracy & Identity
PS 231 Strategic Models PS 331 Intro to Electoral Behavior PS 457 Dem Govt in a Global Setting
Public policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PS 220 Intro to Public Policy PS 320 Intro to Public Administration
PS 222 Ethics & Public Policy PS 321 Principles of Public Policy
PS 225 Environmental Pols & Policy
Comparative politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PS 240 Intro to Comp Pols PS 339 Pol Violence PS 353 Govt & Pols of Latin Am
PS 241 Comp Pols in Developing Nations PS 340 Pols in Intl Development PS 354 Latin Am Pol Econ
PS 242 Intro to Modern Africa PS 341 Govt & Pols of Africa PS 355 Democratization
PS 243 Pan-Africanism PS 343 Govt & Pols of China PS 356 Comp Pol Econ
PS 273 Environment and Soc PS 345 Govt & Pols of Southeast Asia PS 357 Ethnic Conflict
PS 346 Govt & Pols of South Asia PS 358 Comp Pol Behavior
PS 347 Govt & Pols of the Middle East PS 385 Pols of the European Union
PS 348 Govt & Pols of Western Europe PS 397 Authoritarian Regimes
PS 349 Govt & Pols of Great Britain PS 408 Islam & Modern Soc
PS 351 Govt & Pols of Post-Soviet States PS 418 Languages & Minorities in Europe
PS 352 Govt & Pols of Eastern Europe

Undergraduate Handbook 24
Political theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PS 270 Intro to Pol Theory PS 371 Classical Pol Theory PS 377 Topics in Contemporary Pol Theory
PS 372 Modern Pol Theory PS 378 Topics in Non-Western Pol Thought
PS 373 Democratic Theory PS 413 Sex, Power, & Pols
PS 376 American Pol Theory
International relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PS 280 (or 281) Intro to Intl Relations PS 379 Intl Relations & Domestic Pols PS 390 American Foreign Policy
(281 ACP) PS 380 Intl Cooperation PS 391 Soviet & Post-Soviet Foreign Policy
PS 180 Intro to the Pols of Globalization PS 381 Intl Conflict (ACP) PS 393 Diplomatic Studies Practicum
PS 282 Governing Globalization PS 382 Intl Pol Econ PS 394 Crisis Diplomacy
PS 283 Intro to Intl Security PS 383 Intl Organization (ACP) PS 395 Intl Organization
PS 289 Pols of the Vietnam War PS 384 Pols of Globalization PS 396 Intl Conflict
PS 386 Intl Law PS 398 Strategic Intl Relations
PS 387 National Security Policy PS 480 Energy & Security
PS 389 Intl Communications
Other political science courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PS 100 Intro to the Study of Pols PS 300 Special Topics PS 495 Senior Honors Seminar
PS 199 Open Seminar PS 490 Individual Study PS 496 Senior Honors Thesis
PS 200 Foundations of Pol Science PS 491 Govt Internship
PS 299 Study Abroad PS 494 Junior Honors Seminar

Undergraduate Handbook 25
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Department of Political Science
420 David Kinley Hall mc-713
1407 W Gregory
Urbana, IL 61801
pol.illinois.edu/undergraduate
pol-advisor@illinois.edu

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